Friendly Locals

Bucaramanga has a very friendly vibe to it, partly because of the friendly locals but also because it’s big enough to feel like a decent size city but not so big your swallowed up by it. People still take time to stop and say hello to each other here and it feels good.

Maybe it’s because they aren’t as used to seeing foreigners as the are in Bogota, Medellin or Cartagena but the friendly locals or Santandereanos, as they’re also known, are hugely proud of their department and are passionate about sharing it.

It’s common for strangers to stop you in the street and ask with a confused look “ what are you doing here?” , if you answer along the lines of discovering their beautiful region expect a friendly locals invitation to see their favourite spots, share a beer or even check out their finca for a weekend. It may seem a bit strange to us up tight Europeans or North Americans but roll with it and you’ll soon realise that engaging with the friendy locals is the best way to see the real Santander .